8 Cars Named After Fish and Other Sea Creatures
Auto manufacturers often name cars after animals to represent the qualities of their vehicles. The Ford Bronco is intended to be an SUV that drivers can take off-road, so it borrows the name of a tough horse. Ram uses the name and image of a ram to highlight the power of its trucks. Animals in the sea are also frequently used for vehicle names, and here are eight cars named after fish and other types of sea creatures.
1. Plymouth Barracuda
The Plymouth Barracuda is one of the most famous muscle cars of the 1960s, and its name is fitting. In the sea, barracudas are apex predators, so the Barracuda name evokes the feeling that this car dominates the road. Interestingly, the Plymouth Barracuda came out around the same time as another famous muscle car. According to Car & Bike, Plymouth released the Barracuda two weeks before Ford released the first Mustang.
2. Perodua Kelisa
Perodua is a Malaysian car manufacturer, and the Kelisa was a hatchback named after a Malaysian species of fish. Naijauto states that the Perodua Kelisa is for the Arowana fish, which is culturally significant to the region. This hatchback was produced between 2001 and 2007.
3. Opel Manta
As we’ll see later in the list, rays are popular inspirations for cars, and this German sports coupe was worthy of the manta ray name. The Opel Manta was a staple of European drag and rally racing, but its release was limited in the United States. According to On All Cylinders, Americans could find the Manta at Buick dealerships from 1971 to 1975.
4. AMC Marlin
Marlins are known for their breakneck speed, so it was only a matter of time before a car would be named after the fish. Only in production from 1965 to 1967, the AMC Marlin started as a variant of the brand’s Rambler. However, this two-door fastback quickly established a reputation of its own.
5. Citroen Nemo Concetto
While most of the models on this list are based on species of sea creatures, the Citroen Nemo Concetto is based on one specific fish in particular. Car Body Design states that the “Nemo” in its name refers to the titular fish from Finding Nemo. The Nemo Concetto had a paint scheme that resembled the fictional fish’s colors, and the vehicle’s seats included images of other characters from the film.
6. AMT Piranha
Named after the famed sharp-toothed fish, the AMT Piranha is different from anything on this list because it was not an actual production car. Instead, it was the car used in the 1960s spy TV series, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. According to The Classic Cars Wiki, the AMT Piranha was based on the chassis of the Chevy Corvair, and roughly 12 Piranha models were built.
7. Chevy Corvette Stingray
The other ray-based car on this list, the Stingray, was the name of the second-generation Chevrolet Corvette. According to Way, the Stingray was first introduced in 1963. The Stingray has become one of the most iconic Corvette designs, and the sports car’s sleek body successfully brings to mind the elegant sea creature from which it gets its name. Chevy has since revived the Stingray name for more recent Corvette models.
8. Hyundai Tiburon
The Hyundai Tiburon is a two-door sports coupe that first hit the streets in the United States in 1997. Its name comes from the Spanish word for shark, and the Tiburon was meant to be aggressive and powerful, like a predator of the sea. The rounded, aerodynamic design of the Tiburon gives it an almost shark-like appearance too.
